'Fugitive Telemetry' in 'The Murderbot Diaries' series by Martha Wells is a novella that delves into a murder mystery on Preservation Station, where Murderbot, a SecUnit, is reluctantly roped into helping station security solve a murder case that seems to be connected to GrayCris. The story is described as a fun and engaging read, with a focus on the detective plotline, showcasing Murderbot's snarky attitude towards humans and its growth as a character. Despite being a shorter installment, the novella is praised for its solid twists, endearing AI protagonist, and the exploration of what it means to be human through the eyes of a cyborg.
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From The Publisher:
The New York Times bestselling security droid with a heart (though it wouldn't admit it!) is back in Fugitive Telemetry!
Having captured the hearts of readers across the globe (Annalee Newitz says it's "one of the most humane portraits of a nonhuman I've ever read") Murderbot has also established Martha Wells as one of the great SF writers of today.
No, I didn't kill the dead human. If I had, I wouldn't dump the body in the station mall.
When Murderbot discovers a dead body on Preservation Station, it knows it is going to have to assist station security to determine who the body is (was), how they were killed (that should be relatively straightforward, at least), and why (because apparently that matters to a lot of people-who knew?)
Yes, the unthinkable is about to happen: Murderbot must voluntarily speak to humans!
Again!
A new standalone adventure in the New York Times-bestselling, Hugo and Nebula Award winning series!
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Ratings (65)
Incredible (18) | |
Loved It (28) | |
Liked It (11) | |
It Was OK (7) | |
Did Not Like (1) |
Reader Stats (83):
Read It (67) | |
Want To Read (16) |
4 comment(s)
Murderbot stumbles onto a dead body and this is pretty much the coolest Sci-fi murder mystery featuring the beloved Murderbot. I love this series!
This 6th book in the “Murderbot” series continues the adventures of an AI that is surprisingly more human than it wants to be.
"Fugitive Telemetry" is a science fiction novella by American author Martha Wells. It is part of her series of books set in the universe of the Murderbot Diaries, featuring a rogue SecUnit (a type of android) named "Murderbot" as the main character. The story follows Murderbot as it attempts to evade capture and reconnect with its human friends while being pursued by a rival SecUnit. It was originally published in 2019.
Entertainment when you have nothing else to read, or you are inbetween books.
After
Network Effect, I was looking forward to seeing Murderbot’s adventures with ART and his crew, so after reading the beginning of
Fugitive Telemetry and realizing this story takes place before the events of the previous book, I was a bit disappointed. Getting past that initial confusion, this was still a great installment in the series, though perhaps less impactful than some.
We follow Murderbot during its first time working with Preservation Station security on a case, attempting to coexist with humans who don’t necessarily see SecUnits in the best light — rogue or not. There were some fun character interactions and the usual quips and attitude from Murderbot, but otherwise, the story was pretty generic compared to previous books.
Now that I know Wells isn’t averse to jumping the timeline from book to book, I don’t know if the next book will bring the developments I anticipate, but I’m sure I’ll have a great time reading regardless!
The Murderbot books are a bit like junk food: not much substance, but impossible to put down.
(This isn't to say they aren't well-written (they are), that the main character isn't interesting and fully fleshed-out (it is), or that Wells doesn't occasionally explore interesting ideas (she does—and I'm not talking about the trite "explorations" of gender theory and hippy pseudo-socialism). But high literature this is not, and if my literary diet consisted of nothing but Murderbot I'd be in bad shape. Luckily, there's room in any diet for a bit of fun, and Murderbot hits the spot.)
I knocked off a star for
Fugitive Telemetry because 1) most of Murderbot's time is spent sitting around and talking with people, which is fine but not really what I'm looking for in a Murderbot story, and 2) I enjoy Murderbot the most when it's breaking the rules and doing things it shouldn't, which doesn't happen much in this installment. However, it was still a fun, funny, and fast-paced read, so I can't complain too much.
What can you read after
Fugitive Telemetry?
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